St. Luke’s Anglican Church director of communications Debbie Kollgaard and her husband Chris traveled on behalf of St. Luke’s with the Diocese of Western Anglicans Bishop, the Rt. Rev. William Thompson, to Uganda. The trip in early July was to participate in the Rt. Rev. Bishop Evans Kisekka’s son’s wedding ceremony. Bishop Thompson officiated.

St. Luke’s Anglican has a longstanding relationship with the Anglican Church in Uganda that includes a ministry partnership. St. Luke’s also provides donations to Ugandan families to enable them to be more self-sustaining.

Recalling some of her fondest memories of the trip, Kollgaard said, “The people are very open and welcoming to those from the west. Their faith is extremely important and they have very high respect for those in authority positions like bishops and their elders. It’s such a different way they live, yet they are content.”

Highlights of the Kollgaards’ trip included visiting the Shrine of the Martyrs, dating back to the late 1800s when approximately 25 Christians were tortured for six days before giving their lives for their Christian faith.

Another high point was seeing the Rt. Rev. Bishop Evans Kisekka again.

Kollgaard and her husband delivered a joint sermon on the universality of the Christian faith and how important it is to help those in need based on Matthew 12. The Kollgaards said that they would very much like to return to Uganda, as they love the people and considered the trip a life changing experience.

“It seems to encourage and validate [the Ugandan people] as a developing country when we westerners visit,” said Kollgaard. “And it was very humbling for us to see their contentment with what we would consider very little.”

St. Luke’s Angelican welcomes the community to attend its weekly Sunday worship services. A traditional 8 a.m. service is followed by a 10:15 a.m. contemporary family worship service. Services are held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church Chapel at 300 Vallejo Dr. in Glendale. St. Luke’s also invites the community to attend its monthly 4th Friday Healing Services on the fourth Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at its church offices, 3901 Foothill Blvd., second floor, La Crescenta.

For more information, log on to www.stlukesanglican.org or contact Parish Administrator Kay Wisdom at (818) 249-5100 or kay@stlukesanglican.org.